Circular jewels such as rings or bracelets comprising a rotating outer band are already known.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,060,345 to Ch. PHILIPPS describes jewels, particularly rings or bracelets, which comprise an outer band on which precious stones may be crimped, which is mounted on a concentric inner band about which it may rotate freely.
According to one embodiment, the two bands are constituted by materials having a low coefficient of friction, for example celluloid.
If the two bands are made of metal, an anti-friction device is interposed therebetween, for example a ball bearing. In order to be able to assemble the two bands, one of them, preferably the inner band, is split so that it may be necked in order to be inserted in the outer band. The purpose is to produce jewels which enable the visible part of the outer band to be varied.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,453,955 to J. YOUNGHUSBAND describes a ring which comprises a plurality of precious stones and a cover which is mounted to rotate about part of said ring, this enabling a succession of stones to be covered or revealed in order to serve as memorandum.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,327,606 to S. BACHARACH describes wedding rings which are composed of three bands: a central band which comprises a pair of flanges and two lateral bands which each comprise a groove, in which one of said flanges penetrates, with the result that the three bands may rotate with respect to one another.
The purpose is to distribute the wear over the whole periphery of the ring. The inner band initially has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of one of the lips which defines each of the grooves of the outer bands and the inner band is deformed in order to increase its diameter.
French Pat. No. 634 323 describes wedding rings formed by two concentric bands of different material, for the purpose of simplifying manufacture.
The inner band comprises a groove in which is engaged an outer band which has an initial outer diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the inner band and which is then necked so as to be firmly fitted in the groove.
In a variant, the inner band may be expanded. The outer band does not rotate in the inner band.
The prior art documents cited hereinabove show that it is known to manufacture circular jewels, particularly rings, comprising two coaxial bands which may rotate with respect to each other about their common axis for the purpose of distributing the wear or for enabling the ornamental appearance of the ring to be altered.
The purpose of the present invention is different.
Experience has shown that, for various reasons, certain people like to wear jewelry, particularly rings, bracelets or pendants, which comprise a rotating part, enabling them to occupy their fingers in rotating said part. The object of the present invention is to produce jewels which present this particular feature and to provide processes for manufacturing them.
A jewel according to the invention is of the known type comprising an outer band and an inner band, which are coaxial and mounted to rotate with respect to each other about their common axis.